Description

This sport climb is in the complex Dinosaur Mountain area. Find the Court area on Der Zerkle, where you'll see Touch Monkey and Knot Carrot. April Fools starts about 30 feet up the ramp to the left of Touch Monkey.

The route climbs the overhanging, pocketed white and brown face for about 60 feet. Excellent position and climbing.

Protection

I believe there are 7 protection bolts and a two bolt anchor. When we installed the anchor, we left webbing with a ring to lower from.

April Fools!?!? What I got to the top and couldn't find the anchor, so April Fools? Did I just miss it at twilight? Well, going up and left to the top is mellow enough climbing, but it's a 60' runout to the summit! If you fell, you'd deck for sure. So, where are the anchors relative to the last bolt? Not up and not left... must be right. I ended up on the summit belaying my second from the ground. The crux of this route is harder than some of the other 11s in the area.

Tony, it's possible the anchors are gone now, the last time I was on this route was in the late '90s, but I assure you we put in two bolts at the top. As I remember, you go straight up and slightly left of the last bolt, maybe 20 feet at most above that last one, and though my recollection is vague, I think is that there is a slight trough in the rock that one follows. Certainly not a groundfall, if you went for a 60' runout well, then your biggest problem is hauling your giant sac around.

Thanks, Matt and Paul, and props to you guys for your efforts. It was great updating these routes with you yesterday. There are still routes to be replaced up there, and if anyone is ever interested, let one of us know.

Maybe it was just my head today, but the spaces between the second and third to last bolts felt a little sporty. However, it's pretty easy going, there are a few spots for Aliens/stoppers, and you're probably not as much of a wuss as me.

I think the name "April Fool's" is a direct reference to the grade. Also be careful between the second and third to last bolts, as mentioned above. My friend took two repeated ~30 footers right before the second to last bolt. It is solid 5.10 climbing there, and you are pumped from the insecure, slopey crux. It's all air, but my pinky jammed into my ATC :'(. He was probably 20 feet from the deck still, but the FA wasn't messing around with how the bolts are placed.

Excellent route with a very technical crux and plenty of sustained climbing. I used a small cam before the first (very high) bolt, and a yellow Alien to reduce the big runout (15 ft?) between 4th and 5th bolts. Without this last piece, probably 10+ PG-13 in this section, which isn't too bad if you can do the crux.

"I think the name "April Fool's" is a direct reference to the grade. Also be careful between the second and third to last bolts, as mentioned above. My friend took two repeated ~30 footers right before the second to last bolt. It is solid 5.10 climbing there, and you are pumped from the insecure, slopey crux. It's all air, but my pinky jammed into my ATC :'(. He was probably 20 feet from the deck still, but the FA wasn't messing around with how the bolts are placed."

Among other dumb things I did in my youth was wire this route into submission on toprope, then put in the original 4 bolts on rappel. I subscribed to the idea that using less permanent protection was better, and I think it was possible to protect the reach to the first bolt with a tricam. Then the rest was just run and gun, and if you needed, maybe you could jam a cam into a pocket in the middle. I drilled those holes with a hammer and hand drill. At the top, I think we used webbing and a couple of rappel rings at two anchor bolts.

A few months later the guy I did the route with originally, who I'm not sure ever redpointed it, came back and added 3 bolts with a hammerdrill. I responded with righteous indignation: "How dare you!" A couple of years later I came back to the route, out of shape, my body as soft as a ripe peach. Had to hang on every bolt and thanked God the extra bolts were there and wished for more of them too.

We named it April Fools when we finished it on 4/1, and figured a sandbag grade was appropriate. Grades were harder in 1990, but it was still a sandbag when we reported 10d. Kind of silly, but I wasn't a particularly mature 23 year old.

Later we discovered better practices for anchors with chains and stainless rings, but by then bolting was illegal in the Mountain Parks.

Anyway, this is way too much detail on a modest route, but it's the only route I envisioned and put up from beginning to end and I'm pleased it sees some traffic.